The Times - UK (2022-04-04)

the times | Monday April 4 2022 2GM 55

Sport

being a good father and husband, has

actually been a psychological “crutch”

and a sign of being soft on himself.

Trying to straddle different parts of

his character — the accessible nice guy

and the competitor — may be perfectly

encapsulated by having an old friend,

Harry Diamond, as caddie. As one golf

source says: “Harry wouldn’t be caddie

for any of the other world’s top 50, but

Rory sees it differently in wanting a

friend he trusts on the bag.”

enjoying it so much right now he wants
to play until he’s 70.”
Then McIlroy, having changed his
preparation for Augusta away from the
WGC-Dell Match Play to compete in
the Valero Texas Open, missed the cut
on Friday. His even-par first round
included six birdies, as he drove well,
but also six bogeys with some wayward
approach shots. A one-over 73 on Fri-
day, including a solitary birdie, hardly
seemed to justify Rotella’s optimism as
McIlroy made the early journey home.
There will not be too much of the
“hype train” that McIlroy believes has
derailed him at times heading into
Augusta. Indeed, it will be progress just
to be right in the mix on Sunday.
The closest McIlroy has come to
winning a major since Valhalla was in
Carnoustie at the 2018 Open when
second behind Francesco Molinari —
his only time within five shots in a
major since his last victory. “I always
seem to play well when people don’t

‘Rory’s in a great place right now and wants to play until he’s 70’

continued from 56-57 give me a chance,” McIlroy said lastweek — but it raises the question of

how he will manage if he does put

himself in the hunt next Sunday.

McIlroy’s “problem”, is that he was so

exceptional so young that it was always

going to be hard to maintain that level,

especially in a sport with such psycho-

logical challenges. He talks about a

“loss of innocence” as he realised post-

2014 that the game could become much

more complicated. More than most

leading athletes, McIlroy wrestles very

publicly with those struggles.

How many other sportsmen talk, as

McIlroy once did to Paul Kimmage for

the Irish Independent, about worrying

that he could become a “a narcissist” if

he became too obsessed with winning.

As Kimmage pointed out, that has not

stopped plenty of golfing rivals. Nick

Faldo had his kids induced so that he

would not miss out on a tournament.

“I don’t want to define myself by

being the best golfer in the world,”

McIlroy has said — yet, in that podcast,

he admitted that talk of a life balance,

After 15 years on tour — in which he

has lived in Monaco and Dubai before

settling in Florida — McIlroy says that

his priority is to rediscover and keep his

boyish love for the sport over the years

ahead. Rotella tells him that he has the

chance to chase his dreams.

“That seems pretty cool,” McIlroy

says. “I get to chase my dreams for a

living.”

But are they still in reach? Chubby

Chandler, his former agent, bumped

into McIlroy a few months ago. “Every-

one’s worried about you,” Chandler told

him. “I’m really not sure why.”

“Rory laughed,” Chandler says. “And

that’s the shame of it. We put this load

of pressure on him, but I don’t under-

stand all the conjecture about Rory.

“He has an unbelievably happy life.

His wife and daughter, his mum and

dad close by in Jupiter and a shit-load of

cash in the bank — is it all about how

many majors he wins?”

Good question. And McIlroy, more

than any of us, still seems to be grap-

pling with the answer.

Continued from

back page

hospital for months and

wondering whether he

would ever walk again.

Six weeks ago he said he

had “a long way to go” in

his recovery programme.

He is due to give a

press conference mid-

morning tomorrow and

his decision is likely to

be announced then, if

not before.

The 46-year-old has

not played on the PGA

Tour since the 2020

Masters. His only event

since the accident came

last December when he

finished runner-up

alongside his son in a

36-hole exhibition played

on a flat course with no

rough.

Playing at Augusta

National, however,

represents one of the

more taxing walks on

the PGA Tour.

But Woods is no

stranger to playing

through pain, something

he famously proved at

the 2008 US Open

where he prevailed in a

thrilling play-off at Torrey

Pines while competing

on what was essentially

a broken leg.

Woods capped one of

the most remarkable

comebacks in sport

when, at the age of 43,

he won the Masters in

2019 after enduring

years of surgery and

personal problems.

Woods practises at Augusta but undecided on playing

Oxford throw cox Jack Tottem into the river after beating Cambridge to win the Boat Race for the first time since 2017

JOE GIDDENS/PA

Cancelled in 2020 because of Covid and
moved to the Great Ouse last year —
where, as a handful of startled residents
of the Cambridgeshire village Little-
port spectated, police patrols kept out-
siders away — the Boat Race returned
to London yesterday.
After three successive Cambridge
victories, Oxford won the 167th men’s
race by 2¼ lengths in a time of 16min
47sec. Unlike the women’s race which
preceded it, Oxford were favourites.
Like the women’s race it went to type.
Cambridge won the coin toss, choos-
ing Middlesex, but for all that they
began cleanly, they were soon undone.
There would be no exchange of the
lead. Calmly coxed by Jack Tottem,
Oxford’s race was as ruthless as it was
perfect and by the end it was less of a
gruelling slog, more a cruise to victory.
Stroking long and languidly, Cam-
bridge faced an Oxford crew who were
less elegant but whose shorter
style was more powerful.
Oxford were marginally
ahead as they passed
Fulham FC’s Craven
Cottage. As both cox-
es tried to guide their
boat into the fastest
waters, the umpire, Sir
Matthew Pinsent,
warned both crews to
keep their distance in the
increasing headwind.
As they turned towards
Hammersmith Bridge, the point where
80 per cent of the leaders go on to win,
Oxford resisted Cambridge’s last heave
and pulled away. There was clear water
between the crews, who had switched
stations, and Cambridge had no more
left. In the ecstasy of victory, Oxford
roared as one in a cathartic howl. Cam-
bridge slumped, broken to a man.
Sean Bowden, Oxford head coach for
25 years, was ecstatic. “We were faster
all the time, to be honest. It looked

Oxford stop

rot on return

to Thames

promising from the first bend. For

myself, I’m a bit old to find another

career line, but the energy you get from

highly motivated young people is

extremely powerful. That makes you

keep wanting to test yourself out.”

For Angus Groom, an Olympic silver

medallist for Great Britain in Tokyo, his

first Boat Race was his last race as a

rower before he concentrates on his

research, based around studying the

early stages of leukaemia. “You’ll not

see me on a boat again unless it’s a beer

boat,” he said, pouring genuine Thames

water out of his wellington boots. “The

Boat Race has been on my bucket list

for years. I knew we had a strong squad,

but getting everyone from so many

rowing backgrounds to gel is astonish-

ing. It’s been a blast.”

This was Britain edging back to nor-

mal. Over 200,000 hardy souls lined

the Thames to watch an event that

harkens to a sepia-tinted time when

Victoria was on the throne, Britain

ruled the waves and being an amateur

rower was a noble calling for the future

elite.

“What I like,” said Melissa, a

student — “not Oxbridge,

not bright enough” — who

attended as a girl with her

parents and has now

strongarmed her initially

reluctant boyfriend to par-

take, “is that it’s traditional

but weirdly cutting edge.

True, you don’t see much, but

it feels like you’re at the centre

of 2022 Britain, just as you would if

you’d come here in 1922.”

Almost 200 years since Oxford’s men

won at Henley in the first race, the

stakes are higher, the training profes-

sional — six hours a day is not un-

known, even at exam time — albeit

with some Covid restrictions still in

place. Yet the essence of the men’s and,

since 1927, women’s races is broadly un-

changed and refreshingly simple. Yes-

terday, Oxford were quicker. It was that

simple and that joyous.

Men’s Boat Race
John Aizlewood

Men

Cambridge 85

Oxford 81

with one dead heat

Wo m en

Cambridge 46

Oxford 30

Cambridge won the 76th women’s Boat

Race and a fifth in a row with a victory

over Oxford by 2.25 lengths in a record

time of 18min 22sec.

Starting quickly, Cambridge eased

ahead from the first bend and were

never overtaken, although Jasper

Parish’s aggressive coxing led to con-

stant reminders from the umpire

to steer cleanly and an unsuccessful

Oxford appeal afterwards.

Oxford kept their shape impressively,

but they were outgunned by the power-

houses of Cambridge. As the teams

went under Hammersmith Bridge,

Oxford were closing, but Cambridge

chose their line, forced their opponents

wide and by the finish they were several

lengths ahead.

Cambridge women win in record time

All the portents had pointed to

Cambridge. Having won the previous

four races (after four successive Oxford

wins), their women remain dominant.

Four of their number won on the Great

Ouse last year.

As their coach, Paddy Ryan, noted of

his first year since being upgraded from

assistant: “Winning is not supposed to

be easy,” and, as if to prove his point, the

pre-race moment of unpredictability

went Oxford’s way when they won the

toss and chose the southern Surrey

side.

This victory, though, was relatively

easy. New Zealand’s Olympic gold

medallist Grace Prendergast added star

value to the Cambridge boat. The

world’s top-ranked female rower, who

is studying for an MPhil, said: “This is

huge.

“I had more messages of support

than for the Olympics. Winning this

makes everything worthwhile. It’s such

a privilege to be part of it.”

The medical student Imogen Grant

missed a medal in Tokyo for Britain by

a hundredth of a second. This helped to

ease her pain. “I feel really emotional

now,” she said.

“Everything went right. I’ve loved

every single session I’ve done with this

team. We always had something in the

bag.

“I’ve watched this race since I was a

girl and yearned to be part of it all my

life. Being part of it means more to me

than almost anything. This is absolutely

lovely.”

Bronya Sykes, an archaeology under-

graduate and president of Cambridge

University’s women rowers, won last

year too. Second time around, she said

the feeling was sweeter still.

Women’s Boat Race

John Aizlewood